Brick foundation of tape type. Brick foundation Do-it-yourself brick foundation

Such an option as a brick foundation has long been a thing of the past. But, nevertheless, there are people who still use this technology in construction. There are many prejudices about the construction of such a nominal version of the foundation for a brick house. Fears are mainly related to situations that arise during operation. Many users have encountered a problem when, after a period of time, the foundation cracked. The process is often connected with the fact that the developers did not think about the need to use such an option, did not take into account the weight of the structure. It is important to understand for what purposes such a case is best suited.

When is a foundation needed?

The first thing you need to figure out is for which cases it is optimal to use a brick for the foundation. Let, from a technical point of view, such an option is applicable for any structures, in practice it is used exclusively for one-story buildings of low weight. Building a huge two-story brick house on a similar white foundation is not recommended. But for an extension or for the construction of a small bathhouse, a veranda or a modest white summer house, the material is suitable. The brick foundation is distinguished by a set of certain positive and negative points that are important to consider in the process of preparing for the work. In addition to the main material, the brand of concrete, the type of soil and the insulation used in the work play an important role.

Brick is suitable for decorating strip and column bases: the main thing is to prepare a reliable base.
Pros and cons

Advantages

Cracks in the base of this type can be repaired without much effort and expense.
Installation without the use of formwork. It is a significant economic advantage. The advantages are that no concrete is required to be poured into the formwork; therefore, time and money are not wasted on the design of such an element.
There is no need for large-scale concrete work.
Bookmarking flexibility. If damage occurs (if there is a crack in the foundation), the problem is fixed locally.
The ability to choose and make a tape base in any shape, to insulate the structure additionally.

Disadvantages of a brick foundation
Short service life. The disadvantages are that, in comparison with a strip concrete foundation, white or red brick loses in this regard.
Large masonry volume. The blind area around the house is formed for a long period of time.
Weak design. As an additional reinforcement, it is necessary to use reinforcement bars.
Soil incompatibility. It is recommended to use a brick foundation in places remote from the flow of groundwater.
High hygroscopicity. Brick is the material that quickly absorbs moisture in the ground, the finished structure is gradually destroyed.

What material is used?
Burnt red brick is the ideal material for this work.
If you are laying a brick foundation with your own hands, it is important to know which material is by no means suitable for such purposes. In this case, silicate brick is completely unsuitable for work. The above-ground part for the base is laid out in a white block. In order to arrange an underground brick foundation, high-quality burnt red brick is used, which is the least susceptible to moisture. The use of low-quality broken bricks is not allowed - the entire result of the work will come to naught.

How to calculate materials?
The amount of materials needed is calculated in accordance with the work plan. Step-by-step instructions, as a rule, contain data on the approximate necessary stock of funds for laying the foundation. Approximately 400 bricks are used in one cubic meter of masonry. To calculate the approximate amount of material, multiply the estimated volume of the structure by 1 cu. m work. In addition, brick formwork involves the use of cement, insulation and reinforcing material.
Additional paint may be needed to paint the base.
Step by step installation instructions

Tape

An additional measure during construction is a pillow of sand.
This option is able to withstand a more serious load, up to a small wooden house. The strip foundation made of brick is shallow and deep. The second method is used in the case of taking into account the depth of soil freezing. The main work is carried out in areas with heaving soil (the most suitable option), in addition, it is recommended to additionally sprinkle the area with sand and gravel so that in the future there will be no situations with deformation of the structure and the house will not be led to the side.

Training
At the preparatory stages, there are the same actions as in the case of a columnar foundation. A trench about 1 m wide is dug along the entire perimeter of the project. The dimensions of the annex are agreed in advance. If processes of high occurrence of the groundwater level are observed in the area or the soil itself is excessively wet, the width of the proposed pit should be 1 m larger than the building itself (a necessary condition for drainage). The procedure ends with the fact that the bottom is strewn with sand, water is poured, and then it is compacted.

Red brick has been used for construction for quite a long time, however, despite the fact that many other building materials have been released, it is successfully used for the construction of load-bearing walls of houses, as well as for the foundation, although this is now done less often than before. If you opted for this material and decided to make a brick foundation with your own hands, then it is important to know in what conditions it can be used, and what types of foundations are made with it.

What you need to know about soil

Different sites, even in the same area, can significantly differ in the type of soil. Let's name a few types:

Heaving.
Medium heaving.
Non-porous.

To understand what kind of soil is on the site, you need to know how it differs. Heaving is called soil, which, freezing, increases in volume. This phenomenon occurs because ice crystals appear in it. This is facilitated by both the composition and level of groundwater, and the composition of the soil, consisting of pebbles, sand, clay and gravel. The level of heaving of the soil depends on the size of the particles of which it consists. The values are mutually proportional - the highest heaving is in the soil with smaller particles that make up its composition, but accurate data on the quality and composition of the soil can only be obtained in the laboratory.

Brick selection

Most often used for these purposes is a used brick left after the dismantling of a building. This is generally not bad, as it has stood the test of time, but you need to consider that now it will have to be in a humid environment. Therefore, perforated or slotted red bricks cannot be used for these purposes. The ideal option would be to use a solid burnt red brick (ceramic). It is resistant to moisture, durable, but additional waterproofing is required, which will significantly extend its service life.

What is the difference between red clay brick and silicate brick? The basis for the manufacture of silicate bricks is a special rock, which is pressed and baked under high pressure steam. This makes the silicate brick able to withstand very heavy loads, but provided that there is no moisture. Such a brick in the water becomes limp, losing strength and shape. Red clay brick is fired in special kilns, becoming an artificial stone that is not afraid of moisture. This technology is similar to the technology of obtaining ceramics. In essence, they are related, therefore, in order to make a brick foundation, facing brick is also suitable, unless, of course, the plant guarantees that it is resistant to moisture.

Device depending on the type of soil

After determining the type of soil, you can choose a suitable foundation for it and begin preparatory work.

The best conditions for building a brick foundation with your own hands are possible only on non-porous and dry soils. Such a device is most often used for buildings under construction, mostly one-story buildings, the foundation can last more than 25 years.

An ideal option for non-rocky soil would be a shallow strip foundation. On soil with medium heaving, you can make a columnar foundation (for light buildings), and on heaving soil, you need to make a deep strip foundation, digging a trench deeper than the freezing level of the soil.

Strip foundation

Since non-rocky soil is not common, we will consider how to make in-depth strip and column foundations on our own.

For the first one you need:

Dig a trench to the desired depth.
At its bottom, make a sand cushion and compact it tightly.
Make waterproofing of the sole of the base.
Make a concrete base.
Lay brick with reinforcement. The cement layer should be minimal.

Only in this case, a properly made foundation will not be afraid of deformations, respectively, the costs for it will also be increased, but this is not the case when you can save or experiment.

Particular attention should be paid to reinforcement. For these purposes, steel bars Ø 6-8 mm are used, which must be completely hidden in the cement mortar, otherwise they will quickly rot. It is necessary to make 2 belts of 2 rods in each, at a distance of half a brick from the edge, and bend the ends at the corners so that perpendicular rods can be tied to them with an overlap, but their length must be at least 30 cm.

The columnar foundation made of bricks is done a little differently.

The device of such a foundation, as well as a strip foundation, can be made shallow or on weak heaving soils with a deepening made below the freezing depth. In any of these cases, the brick column is able to withstand a very large load.

Column Foundation

Let's start in order:

Under each pillar, you need to dig a hole 1 × 1 m. The depth is determined by the type of soil and the required foundation capacity, calculated on the mass of the structure.
Fill the bottom of the hole with sand and tamp it down.
Level the site with mortar to a horizontal level.
Lay roofing material over the screed. This will serve to protect the brick from moisture penetrating from below.
Directly on the roofing material, which plays the role of waterproofing, build a brick column.

In the same way, all columns are made that can be made rectangular or square. To improve strength, it would be nice to lay a reinforcing mesh every 3-4 rows of masonry. The most powerful pillars (51 × 51 cm) are made at the corners of the future building, others can be made smaller (38 × 38 cm), with an interval of 1.5-2 m. The height of the column above ground level is made within 15-20 cm, it is plastered , and after drying it is coated with hot bitumen. We lay roofing material on each column and begin to build. Remember that all posts must be at the same level.

The columnar foundation cannot be left unloaded for a long time, because the processes occurring in the soil can deform them. Therefore, if its construction is started in the summer, then do not leave it unloaded for the winter. Try to finish mounting the main structures at temperatures above zero.

Brick is the main material used in construction, without which no building takes place. In addition to the construction of walls, it is also used in the construction of foundations.

The brick foundation is used in the construction of terraces, cottages, cottages, houses made of reinforced concrete slabs. It has a number of important advantages:

not subject to natural factors, and does not harm human health;
do-it-yourself brick foundation is laid out quickly. A person can independently cope with this work (with certain skills, of course).
the cost of brickwork is much less than the reinforced concrete base;
better thermal insulation than reinforced concrete slabs;
masonry is much easier to repair. Damaged foundation elements are easier to remove and insert new ones.
there are no volumetric monolithic slabs in the brick base, and in a situation when the soil begins to move, it will not collapse, but only lose its rigidity;
durability.

With many advantages, the brick foundation has several disadvantages:

porous structure, therefore, due to the ingress of moisture, the brick can freeze strongly;
masonry will have to be insulated;
the work of building a foundation is laborious, involves a large investment of time and effort.

Types of brick foundations

When building a foundation yourself, it is necessary to take into account the type of structure and soil: the soil can settle under the weight of the building, deform under the influence of temperature changes and the presence of water, which, when frozen, expands and pushes the base outward - all this affects the choice of the type of foundation.

The choice of variety depends on the expected load on the soil. Brick foundation is of two types:

columnar;
tape.

Features of laying a columnar foundation

This type of foundation is suitable for the construction of cottages, baths, terraces, open verandas or summer houses, which will not significantly load the masonry.

Brick columns are installed in the corners of the building - there will be places where the load-bearing walls intersect. It is advisable to place them along the entire structure every 2 meters. The pillars are mounted in a square-shaped pit measuring 1x1 meter and the same depth. The bottom is covered with sand, which is then wetted with water and compacted. This is necessary for the formation of a kind of platform, since it will not allow the column to sink into the soil. Next, the pit is covered with crushed stone or gravel to a depth of 20-30 cm. You do not need to tamp it down hard, otherwise the water will not pass freely and the soil will begin to swell during frost. A layer of gravel or crushed stone is leveled with a solution, after hardening, put roofing material. It is advisable to make several layers - this will improve the waterproofing.

After the preparatory stage is completed, you can begin the execution of the brickwork itself. The columnar foundation for the terrace involves the use of columns with dimensions of 2x2 bricks, which are laid in the following sequence:

2 rows of 2 bricks along the axis;
2 bricks across;
4 along;
2 across;
2 along;
4 across;
2 along;
2 across.

The seams that were formed in the process must be filled with a solution. Then the masonry is plastered and a waterproofing layer is installed. It can be bitumen or roofing material - they will reliably protect the brick from the harmful effects of moisture and rapid destruction.

Construction of a strip base made of bricks

If buildings are planned that will have walls that give a large load - a covered veranda with a terrace or a bathhouse with an extension - then it is better to choose a strip foundation. To do this, a trench 1 m wide is dug along the entire length of the future structure. In the case of wet soil or high groundwater, the width of the ditch should not be 1 m larger than that of the building being erected (this is necessary for installing drainage). The preparatory steps are the same as when draining a columnar base: sand is poured onto the bottom, watered and compacted.

Then the formwork is laid out from the boards, the width of which is 15-20 cm more than the strip foundation itself, and the height is 15 cm. The bottom of the formwork is covered with waterproofing, concrete mixture is poured on top. The solution layer must be well leveled using a building level. The concrete will set in a few days and after it has hardened, you can start laying the strip base. Masonry should rise in ledges, bricks should be laid in a dressing. Reinforcement made of bars or meshes is necessarily placed between the two lower and upper rows - this will make the foundation more durable.

What brand of brick to choose for construction?

When choosing a brick for building a foundation with your own hands, it is worth considering the type of foundation: underground or aboveground. For the first, it is better to choose red, burnt. It practically does not shrink and does not absorb or accumulate water. The laying of the foundation of red brick will last for a long time without repair work. If the base is ground or it is necessary to arrange the basement and upper floors, white brick can be used. But here it is worth considering the type of soil on which it is placed. It should not be wet and have groundwater lying close to the upper layers.

Bricks that have voids inside are best not used in construction, as they are adversely affected by high humidity and can deform under prolonged loads.

When choosing a brick for a foundation device (both columnar and strip), you should pay attention to the following factors:

the best brands have numbers M150, M175, M200, M250 and M300;
resistance to low temperatures should be in the range of 35-50 cycles;
if you need a brick for a base that will be located underground, consider the moisture absorption rate. Well, if it is not less than 6% and not more than 16%.

Features of brick foundations

Whatever type of foundation you prefer, do not forget about some factors, given which you will create a strong, reliable masonry:

Choose the right materials for masonry. The higher their quality, the stronger the foundation will be.
The denser the structure of the material, the greater the thermal conductivity of the base.
If the space between the rows of bricks is poorly filled, they will freeze and blow through, which will also increase heat loss through the foundation.

Red brick has been invented and successfully used as a building material for more than one century. But few people know that it has been used for the construction of foundations for a long time.

Brick, despite the abundance of building materials, is still used as a base material for light, one-story buildings.

This material is not ideal, and the construction of the sole of a small house or bath from it is a rather laborious and not the fastest process.

Another important drawback is the high cost of bricks.

Such a foundation can be built exclusively on non-rocky and dry soils, so most developers are not even considered.

But subject to the technology of its construction, and properly performed waterproofing work, such a sole, whether it be a small private house, a summer house or a bathhouse, can serve faithfully for up to 25 years.

We will learn about all the intricacies of building a brick foundation.

Choosing a construction method

A brick foundation is often made using a tape method, since it is the tape sole that is the most durable and economical.

The answer suggests itself if we are talking about a brick foundation.

But not simple, but red full-bodied burnt brick, which is not afraid of moisture.

It is resistant to high humidity and is not afraid of high loads, but only if it is of proper quality and additional waterproofing.

Often used bricks are used for the foundation, left after the dismantling of buildings, it is cheap and time-tested.

In no case should silicate (white) building, or slotted red bricks be used for the foundation.

Silicate - has good strength, but is completely unsuitable for use in conditions of high humidity.

Slotted - practically not afraid of moisture, but fragile, and can withstand fairly small loads.

Calculation of the required amount of materials

You should know that masonry is measured in cubic meters. For 1 m3 of brickwork, as a rule, you will need 513 bricks.

If we subtract the thickness of the solution from here, it turns out that for 1 m3 of masonry, about 400 pieces are needed. bricks.

And the volume of the tape can be found by multiplying its length by the width and the planned height.

Stages and construction technology

Consider a strip buried foundation made of bricks, made on heaving soil. (This soil type is the most common)

Stage one: marking and earthworks. Dig a trench to a depth below freezing ground. The width of the tape depends on the moisture content of the soil. The wetter, the wider the tape.
Make a sand cushion at the bottom of the finished trench. Pay special attention to its thorough tamping. Use only coarse-grained sand for the sand cushion.
The next step will be the device of the concrete base of your future foundation. For this you need. The thickness of the concrete base is usually about 10 cm, so the formwork must be of this height. The width of the base should be half the width of the tape. Don't forget the waterproofing layer between the foundation and the concrete base. As a waterproofing, we recommend using roofing material.
A few days after pouring concrete, you can start laying. The brickwork of the foundation is carried out on a cement-sand mortar, in a ratio of 1: 3, and can be performed with any dressing, most often with a standard one. When erecting a brick base, two reinforcement belts are used. The first is done between the first and second rows of bricks, and the second armored belt is made before the last row of masonry. Steel or composite reinforcement, 6-8 mm thick, is suitable for reinforcement.
After about 2 weeks, you can start waterproofing and insulating the walls of the foundation.

Waterproofing - quick and easy

This procedure is simple and can be done with your own hands by almost any home craftsman.

The waterproofing of the sole walls is carried out by coating it with bituminous materials, followed by gluing it with roofing material.

Although you can use any method of waterproofing foundations suitable for concrete bases.

When filling the sole with earth or construction debris, be careful not to damage the waterproofing layer.

Strengthening the existing foundation

The old brick foundation, in which cracks have appeared, does not have to be redone, it can be repaired.

The easiest way to reinforce the sole is to make the so-called bulls.

First of all, you need to make a reinforcing frame from a reinforcing bar or knitting wire. Experts recommend doing it with cells of 20x20x20 cm.

We dig holes so as to expose the corners of the foundation. The depth of the pit should be 50 cm more than the depth of the sole. We put a reinforcing frame in the prepared trenches and fill the entire structure with concrete.

Before making a brick foundation, think carefully, because strength depends on a number of factors in which the quality of the material and soil is one of the first places.

There are many types of foundations. If during the construction of residential buildings it is necessary to strictly follow the design documentation, which already contains the type of foundation, then with the private construction of outbuildings, baths or any other small buildings, you can try to save money. The most budgetary is a shallow-buried brick foundation. It does not require a large amount of expensive materials, voluminous earthworks and the need to use construction equipment. All work can be done independently and fairly quickly. The article will focus on the various features and methods of laying a brick foundation.

In what cases can the foundation be laid out of brick

According to the design features, all foundations are divided into tape, columnar and monolithic. The latter are poured with concrete and are a solid reinforced concrete structure, so this type of foundation is not laid out with bricks.

Regarding tape and columnar - in certain cases they can be made entirely of bricks. But it is important to comply with a number of requirements:

the brick should be the most durable, experienced builders recommend choosing burnt red brick, which is sold as defective at a significantly lower price. Its defects are possible bulges and metallized places. This does not affect the strength characteristics in any way;
a number of requirements are also imposed on the cement mortar. It should be prepared in the proportion of 3 parts sand and 1 part cement. The brand of dry cement should be as high as possible, the minimum allowable value is M400. Since the masonry will often be in an environment with high humidity, it is desirable to add waterproofing additives to the mixture;
when building a columnar foundation made of bricks, a layer of waterproofing should be placed under each support. If a tape is made, then the entire area under the foundation is waterproofed. This stage is desirable, but if the groundwater level is only 1.5 meters or more, then it must be done;

when laying a strip foundation, the sole should still be poured from concrete with a sand cushion made using all technologies. This will not only increase the possible load on the base, but also protect the cracking of the masonry from heaving of the soil;
Before laying the foundation, it is recommended to carry out geodetic work. This will allow you to accurately calculate the desired depth of the foundation in accordance with the load that is expected to be placed on it. But brick foundations, most often, are made for light houses or outbuildings, so there are no special requirements for them.

The choice of brick for laying the foundation

One of the most important characteristics of a brick that you should pay attention to is its brand. It encodes 2 of its main parameters: M (load per cm2) and F (frost resistance).

The following types are suitable for the foundation:
M-150;
M-175;
M-200;
M-250;
M-300.

Frost resistance indicators should be F 35-100. The water absorption index is also taken into account, it is recommended to choose its value in the range of 6-20%. This is especially important for the foundation, which will be located underground.
Do not use white silicate brick. It has a very low moisture resistance, and when wet in autumn, it begins to crack in winter. When laying a foundation of silicate brick, it will quickly become damp and crumble, which will lead to deformation of the base and the entire structure. It will no longer be possible to fix this on your own, and ordering builders to correct the error will be tantamount to the price of a new foundation.
Only red brick is suitable for laying the foundation, but not all of it. Often manufacturers, in pursuit of a lower price, save on the quality of firing. Outwardly, it is impossible to distinguish this, but already a few years after construction, quite noticeable cracks will appear. And after 6-10 years, it completely crumbles.
Best fit clinker brick. This type of ceramic brick, but for its firing, a higher temperature is used, which exceeds 1200 ° C. This makes it very durable and resistant to getting wet and freezing. Therefore, they often lay out sidewalks and paths. But only solid brick is suitable, products with cavities are unsuitable for laying the foundation. In terms of strength, although they are not inferior to solid counterparts, the water that accumulates in the cavities will freeze in winter and destroy the entire structure. But he has a drawback, because of which this brick is practically not used in Russia - this is its high price. Almost all goods that are presented on the construction market are imported.

Important: refractory bricks that cannot tolerate high humidity are also not suitable for laying a brick foundation.

in some cases, masons recommend making additional protection of the brick foundation from moisture by applying a strong cement plaster solution to it. But this will be only an additional measure, in addition to the main waterproofing. Since concrete itself is unable to fully protect against water and itself collapses over time;

when laying a brick foundation with your own hands, it is important to follow all the rules that apply to walls. These are the thickness of the seam, reinforcement, horizontal and vertical level, etc.

Brick foundation photo

Brick foundation calculations

Before you start laying a brick foundation, you need to accurately calculate the size of the foundation and the amount of materials needed for it. The first parameter is based on the load that will be placed on the base (wall and floor material, number of floors and type of soil). These dimensions, as a rule, are already included in the project. But in any case, the width of the foundation should be at least 5-7 cm greater than the thickness of the walls, in the future this will allow you to conveniently position the logs of the floor of the first floor.
First you need to calculate the required number of bricks. The sizes of red bricks are standard (25x12x6.5). Approximate prices for products of Russian factories range from 10-15 rubles / piece. An imported analogue costs 70-100 rubles / piece.
Next, the required volume of river sand and river sand is calculated for the pillow and concrete mortar. Their average cost today is 400 rubles/t and 700 rubles/t, respectively.
For laying bricks, cement mortar is made in small portions on its own. So you need to buy the required number of bags of cement, 50 kg of which costs 250 rubles. If there is no suitable dry room for its storage, then it is better to buy in small batches. When you are outside, even under a canopy, it will quickly deteriorate from moisture.

As a waterproofing, it is more convenient to use bitumen, primer or any other coating material. For a 6x10m foundation, on average, one bucket worth 1000 - 1500 rubles is enough.
Reinforcement is used to reinforce the brick structure. During work, a reinforcing masonry mesh of wire with a diameter of 4-6 mm is laid across some rows, and corrugated reinforcing bars with a diameter of 6-8 mm are fixed in the longitudinal direction.

Thus, it is possible to calculate the cost of laying a brick foundation with independently performed work. But you can order the services of masons, since special aesthetics are not required, then their work will cost less than when building walls.

Brick strip foundation

Preparatory stage

When building a house, it is recommended to make a strip foundation that runs along the perimeter of the building and under all load-bearing walls. This will require a lot of earthwork, a lot of bricks and mortar, all of which leads to significant costs. When building a barn, a bathhouse or a small country house using frame technology or from a bar, it is allowed to make a cheaper columnar foundation of bricks.
In any case, before ordering a house project, a geodetic assessment should be carried out, which will become a recommendation for the required foundation. Sometimes it is required to make a concrete sole with piles extending below the freezing level of the soil. In other cases, a shallow foundation of brick on a sand cushion is sufficient.
Next, they begin marking and digging a trench for a brick foundation. Its width is calculated from the width of the base itself and the distance required for laying the waterproofing layer on both sides. If the soil is heaving (most often clayey), backfilling will be required, because of this, the width of the trench increases significantly.

Stages of work

The first layer is a sand cushion, its height should be at least 15 cm. The sand is leveled and compacted with a vibrating plate. If it is not there, then you can simply spill sand from a hose with a sprayer. The result should be a flat compacted horizontal surface.
Next comes waterproofing. It is recommended to use modern polymeric materials, but if you want to save money, roofing material is also suitable. It is folded in several layers with allowances for the walls.

Brick foundation scheme

The next step is recommended but not required. The formwork is laid and a 10 cm high concrete sole is poured. This will significantly increase the bearing capacity of the foundation, especially when reinforcing the concrete layer with fiberglass reinforcement.

A few days later, when the solution has gained its maximum strength characteristics, they begin laying. Start from the corners. The seams are made ordinary internal, but if there is no further plastering, then it is better to make them flush.
But cement plaster is an important protective layer of brick from moisture. Therefore, the method of applying the solution in the lower part of the foundation and in the basement is different. So, if the lower seams are completely filled with mortar, then in the aerial part the mortar should not reach the edge of the brick by 1 cm. This will increase the adhesion of the plaster.

Tip: on problematic soils, such as: heaving, with a close level of groundwater, reinforcement is made.

When all the brickwork is finished, it is necessary to leave it for a couple of weeks until the cement mortar has completely set.
It was said above about the need to leave a wide trench around the entire perimeter. Now that the masonry has fully matured, the time has come to fill in these voids. Its purpose is drainage functions that contribute to the speedy removal of melt water from the foundation. Therefore, sand, asphalt gas, crushed stone or construction debris of a fine fraction are suitable for backfilling. On top of such a trench, a blind area is equipped, pouring concrete at an angle from the house.
Before starting the construction of the walls of the house themselves, they carry out waterproofing of the upper part of the brick foundation.

Brick tub on the foundation video

How to properly reinforce a brick foundation

Choosing this type of foundation on unstable ground, you need to additionally take care of the reliability of the foundation and strengthen the structure as much as possible.

The reinforcement is placed in 2 belts in 2 rows. It is important that it is completely immersed in the cement mortar and covered with it for a couple of millimeters. Such a seam will be immediately visible - it is thicker than the rest.
As a reinforcing material, twisted steel or fiberglass rods are used. They are located at a distance of 5-6 cm from the edge of the strip foundation along its entire perimeter.
For transverse reinforcement, a mesh with a thin wire diameter is cut and laid.

Columnar brick base

It is columnar foundations that are most often laid out of brick. But, like all designs, they have their advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages include low cost, no need to build a blind area, the ability to do it yourself, ideal for building an outbuilding or veranda.

But there are also significant drawbacks: high-quality waterproofing is required, they are more susceptible to the forces of heaving of the soil in frost, the absence of a basement and low resistance to mechanical pressure.

a strong slope of the site and a height difference under the foundation exceeds 2 m;
weak moving soil, over time, the pillars will squint;
clay or peat soils;
it is planned to build a house from heavy materials, such as bricks, foam blocks or reinforced concrete slabs;
it is planned to equip the basement or basement floor.

The shape of the supporting pillars is always square or rectangular. The size of their section directly depends on the design parameters of the foundation area, which are prescribed in the project.

For a light one-story structure, it is enough to choose the size of a square-shaped support with a side of 38 cm. Or you can strengthen the structure by making the supports rectangular with sides of 38x51 cm. The pillars located inside the foundation under the bearing walls, as a rule, are made smaller, it is enough to make a section of 25x38 cm. When building a two-story house, even if made of lightweight materials, the size of the external and internal brick pillars must be at least 51x51cm.

Brick columnar foundations are divided into two main types, depending on the level of occurrence:

buried suitable for a site with low groundwater, located at a depth of 1.5-2 m, that is, below the level of soil freezing;
shallow-buried optimal for sandy soil types, when it is enough to go deep by only 40-80 cm.

Pillar foundation. Technology

When you have a project on hand, or at least a foundation plan, you can get to work. The place under it should be fairly even, but it is impossible to fill in the pits immediately before starting work. The soil will not be dense enough and after the first winter the post will squint.
Then markup is carried out using twine. First, the corners are determined, their diagonal is checked, and when there is an exact confidence in the correct location, the pegs are hammered. A rope is pulled tightly between them, which will be the border of the outer sides of the remaining pillars along the perimeter.
Next, even rectangular or square pits are dug to a depth of about 60-70 cm and with a margin on the sides for subsequent backfilling.

At the bottom of each hole is a sand cushion. To do this, a geofabric is laid on the bottom, which, passing water, will protect the sand from seeping into the ground. Sand or crushed stone of a fine fraction is poured on top with a layer of 10-15 cm. After it is leveled and carefully rammed.
On top of the resulting pillow of sand or gravel, a layer of rolled waterproofing is placed, for example, roofing material. It will protect the bottom row of bricks from water that will rise from below.
As with strip foundations, brick pillars can also be reinforced with concrete soles. This is especially true when, at the initial stage of construction, changes were made to the design of the house, which lead to a weighting of the structure. First, a reinforcing mesh made of thin wire (3-5 mm in diameter) is laid, on top of which it is poured with a layer of concrete 20-25 cm thick. Depending on the brand and quality of the mortar, it will take 2-3 days for complete solidification and the ability to proceed directly to bricklaying.
For laying a brick foundation, the mortar is prepared on the basis of cement grade M-500 or M-400, but not lower. When constructing a square support, 4 bricks are placed in one row.
For high-quality work, it is important to do constriction and reinforcement, which makes it possible to strengthen the foundation supports horizontally. Every 4 rows (30cm) a reinforcing mesh of 5-6mm wire is placed in the solution.
In those places where there will be an intersection of the walls, the strongest supports are mounted. They are made in two bricks with a section size of 51x51 cm. In the same place, where the load will be significantly less, a size of 38x38 cm is sufficient with a distance of 1.5-2 meters between them.

As with the construction of any foundation, it is important that all brick pillars are strictly in a single horizontal plane. Therefore, each new row of masonry is checked with a level. The pillars themselves are also carefully aligned with plumb lines so that the angle of inclination does not exceed two degrees. Otherwise, a poor-quality foundation will quickly become unusable and lead to the destruction of the entire building.
Thus, the masonry continues to be brought up until the foundation is at a level of 20 from the surface of the earth. If there is a slope on the site, the height of all brick pillars is adjusted to the one located at the highest point.
Since the laying is done in half a brick, the result is a support of a rectangular or square section with an empty cavity in the center. Sometimes concrete blocks are placed inside, but it is more expedient to lower reinforcing bars there and fill everything with concrete.

After the completion of the laying of the brick foundation, the moment comes for its waterproofing. It is most convenient to use a ready-made primer and coat all the walls of the supports. Or use heated bitumen. For waterproofing a horizontal surface, roofing felt or modern solpimer-bitumen rolled membranes are placed. In this form, they are left to gain strength and dry for a week.
Now it's time to fill in the free space around the supports. It is filled with PGS, crushed stone or slag.

Buried brick foundations are made less frequently. It turns out to be too labor-intensive, since you have to dig a 2-meter hole for each support, which requires a lot. In addition, it will not be possible to lay the entire height of the column at once, which means that its construction will take not only a lot of effort, but also a lot of time. But if, nevertheless, there was a desire to make just such a look (for example, there are bricks in stock), then the technology will fully correspond to a shallow-buried analogue.

If the groundwater is deep, and the soil is sandy and not subject to heaving.
Suitable as an inexpensive base for light utility buildings, baths, garages.
Only red solid clinker bricks are suitable. Frost-resistant and strength characteristics of which should be one of the maximum in the line.
Due to the hydrophobic properties of bricks, high-quality waterproofing is required.
Be sure to reinforce the foundation.
If the foundation is designed for a residential building, then you should not save on a concrete sole. For secondary structures, this is optional.